DARK DAYS IN BRITAIN.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16810, 31 May 1926, Page 5

DARK DAYS IN BRITAIN.

WIDESPREAD DISTRESS

MINERS STILL DETERMINED.

MANY INDUSTRIES AFFECTED

(Australian and N.Z. Press Assn.) LONDON, May 29.

Over one million minors have been on strike for four weeks to-day. Not a hundredweight of coal has been raised from Ihe entire coalfields of Britain.

The men arc reported as determined to-day as a month ago. Meantime the stranglehold of industry is becoming more effeclivc hourly. Works are closing daily, the iron and steel industry is at a standstill, blast-fur-naces have blown out.

At Clydesdale alone more than 18.000 iron and steel workers are idle Domestic coal is most severely rationed all over tho country. The train services arc skeletonised. It is expected racing will bo suspended after next week. There arc no specials and no excursions on Derby day, to which the King and Queen are going by road. Every day adds thousands to Ihe ranks of the unemployed' and officials arc snowed under with applications for relief for workers out through the coal strike. Mr A. ,7. Cook, General Secretary of the Miners' Federation, has recovered from the effects of overstrain. In an interview with the "Daily Herald" he said the longer the Government and owners resist the fewer mines will be opened. The immediate consequences of this will firstly bo a larger number of miners drawing unemployment insurance benefit; secondly, the greater the scarcity of coal will be and the higher price of what is available. I visited the coal fields and soup kitchens in Soulh 'Wales and Somerset. The only message I got was "No compromise., We couldn't live on the wages in April, therefore no reduction is possible. The miners are as opposed to longer hours as they are emphatically opposed to lower pay.

The whole communities in the mining districts are existing on poor relief. Soup kitchens are everywhere. Bents and rates are unpaid and many tradesmen in the mining districts are putting up their shutters, unable to give further credit. The greatest efforts arc being made to spare, the women and children. Funds that have been opened are generously supported. One coal owner sent, a cheque for £IOO.

Miss Sybil Thorndike and other interested people have issued appeals. The miners have received £IOOO from the Farm Workers' Union and many contributions from abroad—Germany £r>ooo, Czccho Slovakia £IOOO, and Austria, Holland, Belgium and Yugoslavia several hundreds each.

Strike pay is still being issued varying from £1 to 5s weekly. A disastrous colliery fire has occurred at ■ Bargoed, in Soulh Wales. The fusing of electric wires caused the ignition of napthalenc. The fire lit up Hie whole valley. The damage is estimated at £30,000. RESUMPTION IN WARWICKSHIRE. A CLOSE DIVISION. PRINCE'S SYMPATHY. LONDON, May 30. The Warwickshire miners arc to resume work. They have accepted tho terms offered by the owners, namely, the wages received before the strike and an eight hours day. The correspondents of the Sunday papers report that the miners show an increasing tendency to favour Mr Prank Hodges' scheme for longer hours, no reduction in pay, and a long period of peace.

The executive of the Northumberland Miners' Union only defeated by 30 votes to 33 a motion in favour of a resumption of negotiations for the best possible national settlement based on the report of ttic Coal Commission.

A Royal Proclamation has been ga/.ctted declaring a continuance of a state of emergency owing to the continued stoppage in Hie coal industry.

Mr J. L. Garvin, editor of the Observer, in an outspoken article in that paper, asserts (hat procrastination, followed by hurry, blighted the Government's handling of the coal dispute' throughout. "Before the general strike only a week was allowed for negotiations," says Mr Garvin. "The same thing is being repeated now. The Government has unnecessarily limited itself to a furlher subsidy of £3.000.000, again with 100 short a lime limit.

Although the Prime Minister, Mr Stanley Baldwin, rebuked Ihe mine-owners

in scathing words, lie lias so far attempted lo bring real pressure against the miners only. If (he Government can think of nothing better than the narrowest, interpretation of its formula there will be a war of exhaustion which will spread lo every trade. This will cost many limes £3.000,000 and will produce unparalleled social bitterness. If ibis happens t believe Ibe nation will not forgive the Government, Liberal sympathies will swing lowarrl Labour and there will be many North Hammersmiths" (a reference lo (he Labour win in the bye-election yesterday for (he seat named). Mr Garvin proceeds lo argue that the schemes of Messrs Yarley and Hodges justify keeping open Hie door. He expresses Hie opinion Ih.it a legislative 11 hours day, no reduction in wages, ami a ballot of the miners would prove the shortest and best way out. Moreover, lie says the Government must pledge itseir to carry out Hie report of the Commission in ils entirely in the present session at all cosls.

The Prince of Wales, who is a large coal-owner in Somerset, has sent 10 guineas lo the Miners' Wives and Children's Fund of that district, accompanied by a letter. The communication says: "I naturally cannot lake sides in any dispute, but we all owe a debt lo the miners for their efforts in the past, and everyone sympathises wilh their wises and children in [heir hour of distress. Further, ii would be an undesirable end to any dispute that, one side should have lo give in on account of the sufferings of their dependants." His Royal Highness says he Is confident that wilh goodwill on either side there will he a happy issue out of the present difli-